In this passage (11:5-13), Jesus continues His instruction by showing us that we should approach God in prayer with bold persistence, knowing that as a loving Father, He will provide for our spiritual good. And he uses a parable to help us learn this very important lesson. Jesus takes this eternal truth and lays it alongside a story of everyday life.

The great Welsh preacher, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, once said that PRAYER is “the highest activity of the human soul.” If disciplined prayer is essential to a godly life, then why is prayer such an area of struggle for so many of us? Jesus’ disciples perhaps struggled with the same question because they asked him to teach them how to pray. And so Jesus gave his disciples some important teaching on prayer that is so relevant for all of us.

Discussion Questions

• How do we know when (if at all) to stop persisting in prayer when God doesn’t answer?
• How would you answer a critic who brought up cases of horrible suffering as evidence that God is not good? Why is it crucial to affirm God’s goodness even when we suffer?
• Why does God delay to answer prayers that seemingly would be for His glory to answer now?
• Is it a cop-out to pray, “If Your will be done?” Can we know God’s will for a specific situation in advance?